Is Pat Narduzzi Throwing A Pity Party For Himself?
Unless you’re a die hard Pitt Panthers football fan, is anybody more annoying right now in the college football landscape than Pat Narduzzi? When it’s time for the voters to hand out awards, the trophy for the biggest complainer goes to Narduzzi.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, there are two prime examples we should probably have a quick chat about.
A: Narduzzi had some harsh comments for Deion Sanders.
“That’s not the way it’s meant to be,” Narduzzi told 247Sports last week at the ACC’s spring meetings in Amelia Island, Florida. “That’s not what the rule intended to be. It was not to overhaul your roster. We’ll see how it works out but that, to me, looks bad on college football coaches across the country. The reflection is on one guy right now but when you look at it overall — those kids that have moms and dads and brothers and sisters and goals in life — I don’t know how many of those 70 that left really wanted to leave or they were kicked in the butt to get out.”
Narduzzi has the right to express his opinion. We also have to recognize that his opinion is tone deaf. This is just not how college football works anymore. The players are basically employees and the sooner people like Narduzzi recognize that, the better off they will be.
Players are getting paid to be in the video game. NIL is putting money in player’s pockets. There is a trade off for these things. They are employees whether you like it or not. For a Colorado football team that won ONE game a year ago, yes, he’s going to want to get some of the bad players out of there by telling him to hit the portal. It may be harsh but this is a business. If people like Narduzzi can’t recognize that, maybe they should go coach middle school football.
B: Don’t worry, Narduzzi wasn’t done throwing a pity party for himself. From The Athletic (don’t bother clicking the link from this trash publication. I’ll provide you the quote you need).
“Whether it does any good to speak up, I don’t know,” he said. “But the more people speak up, the better. I think not speaking up is wrong. If we don’t speak up, what voice do we have? I talked to some of those NCAA guys, and they’re like, ‘No one wants to talk.’ They haven’t done anything with the Jordan Addison thing so, really, what does it matter? Everybody wants to be hush-hush, but why? The only reason to be hush-hush is if you’re breaking the rules yourself and you don’t want someone else to turn you in, and maybe that’s the problem: They’re cheating too. Let’s not turn each other in. That’s what I think it is. I got no problem talking, because we’re doing it the right way here.”
Everything Narduzzi says is nonsense. He’s just butthurt that Addison wanted to do right for himself and improve his draft stock. Playing with Caleb Wiliams will do that. Riley addressed Narduzzi’s comments last year but the Pitt coach just won’t let it go even a year later after Addison is off to the NFL.
Pat Narduzzi isn’t a bad head coach but he needs to stop crying. The world has changed. If coaches can leave, so can players. Someone that cares about this man needs to get a hold of him and give him a good slap. He’s embarrassing himself and the Pitt program. Everyone has to play by the same rules. Worry about your program and maybe try to recruit better.
